Foot attachment for ladder-users.



F. N. ELDRED. v TooT ATTACHMENT TOR LADDER USERS, APPLIOATION FILED MAY12, 1908. 991,774, Patented May 9, 1911.

UNI S FRANKLIN N. ELDBJED, OF WEBSTER, NEW YORK.

FOOT ATTACHMENT FOR LADDER-USERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN N. ELDRED, of IVebster, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Foot Attachments for Ladder-Users; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specication, and to the reference characters marked thereon.

The present invention relates to a foot attachment for ladder users,such as painters, fruit pickers and firemen, and it has for an object toprovide a construction which will not interfere with the climbing of aladder and at the same time will permit the user to rest on a rungwit-hout strain on the arch of the foot.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the endof the i specification.

In the drawings: Figure l is a side view of an embodiment of theinvention with a shoe shown in dotted lines associated therewith; and Fig. 9, is a plan view of the attachment.

In the illustrated construction there is ernployed a sole engagingportion B, a heel engaging portion C and a connecting portion A.

rI`he under surface of the sole engaging portion B is broad andsubstantially flat so that the user may climb a ladder, and theconnecting portion A is preferably curved upwardly or arched on itsunder side throughout its length so as to engage a rung when the user isresting on the ladder in order to prevent slipping and at the same timenot to require the user to maintain any one position. The upper surfaceof the connecting portion preferably conforms substantially to the formof the under side of a human foot with the shoe removed. Thisarrangement holds the arched portion of a Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 12, 1908.

Patented May 9, 19M.. serial No. 432,887.

are connected from a wide bar of fiat material, the center of which ispreferably curved or arched and forms the connecting portion and theends of which form parts of the sole and the heel engaging portions Band C, the other parts of said portions B and G being formed by thinplates. The under side of the forward end of this bar forms the widesubstantially fiat bearing surface which is used in climbing a ladder.

The device may be secured to a foot in any suitable manner, but it ispreferred to employ a pair of straps E which are secured each at one endto upwardly extending portions D on the rear of the rear plate. Theother ends of the straps E are adapted to be connected by a buckle orother fastening device above the instep of the foot of a user. There mayalso be employed a strap F which may be secured to the connectingportion A as by being passed below the latter and above a plate R thatis secured to the under side of the bar near the forward end of theconnecting portion. rIhe strap F also has a buckle for securing its endstogether and is adapted to be passed over the foot of a user in front ofthe instep. As t'he connecting portion is narrower than the sole andheel engaging portions and consequently narrower than the foot of auser, the strap F is permitted to snugly embrace the foot and hold itagainst sidewise movement on the device. The plate R acts as a stop toprevent the slipping of the bar on the rungs.

Vit-h a device constructed in accordance with this invention, a user maywalk with ease on the ground and also climb a ladder. While at rest on aladder the connecting portion A bears on a rung and places the strain onthe sole and the heel of the foot instead of on the arch. The conditionof the shoes of the user need not be taken into consideration in usingthis device as a shoe without a heel may be employed without placing anyundue strain on the arch of the foot.

`What I claim is:

A foot attachment for ladder climbing comprising forwardly andrearwardly arranged sole and heel plates and a stift', Hat connectingbar extending beneath and rigidly attached to both plates and having itsintermediate portion arched and adapted to lie beneath the arch of thefoot, a pair of attaching ears extending upwardly at the rear of theheel plate and adapted to prevent the heel of the wearers shoe fromslipping passed beneath the connecting bar at the 10 rearwardly oil theplate, and a pair of attaching straps adapted to pass over the instep ofthe foot at upper and lower points thereon in a forwardly inclineddirection to offer ay distributed resistance to a forward slippingmovement of the foot on the plates, the upper strap being connected tothe yattaehing ears and the lower strap being` forward extremity of itsarched portion and the rear extremity of the sole plate.

Signed and dated at Webster N. Y. this 11th day of May 1908.

FRANKLIN N. ELDRED. Witnesses:

W. H. lVnBsrEn, P. J. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

